In October of 1943; the Danish resistance rescued almost all of the Jews in Copenhagen from roundups by the occupying Nazis. In the years since; Jews have become deeply engaged in a Danish culture that presents very few barriers of antisemitism or prejudice. This book explores the questions that such inclusion raises for the Danish Jews; and what their answers can tell us about the meaning of religion; ethnicity and community in modern society. Social scientists have long argued that modernity poses challenges for traditional ethnic communities; by breaking down the networks of locality; kinship; religion and occupation that have held such communities together. For the Danish Jews; inclusion into the larger society has led to increasing fragmentation; as the community has split into a bewildering array of religious; social; and political factions. Yet it remains one of Scandinavia's most vital religious organizations; and Jewishness remains central to self-understanding for thousands of its members. How this has happened - how the Jewish world has maintained its significance while losing any sense of coherence or unity - suggests a new understanding of the meaning of ethnic community in contemporary society.
#170928 in Books Thompson; Neal 2007-08-28 2007-08-28Original language:EnglishPDF # 1 7.98 x .89 x 5.10l; .74 #File Name: 1400082269448 pagesBroadway Books
Review
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful. Absolutely intriguing and entertaining book!By Jim AbbottWhat mystifies me is that I am not a racing fan in the least but this book seemed to call to me from the library shelf. As a new resident of Georgia; coming from NY; I felt that I needed to do the "when in Rome..." thing and soldier through the book. No need to labor; as it had me in its grip from the first page. It answered all my questions about all things southern; with a vivid description of life here in the last century as well as an unbelievably human story of the men who made moonshine and how their driving skills translated well into car racing at the outset of the stock car boom. It also introduced me to a unique man; a former master bootlegger named Raymond Parks; who; while not generally a race car driver; was as responsible as anyone for NASCAR being in existence today. His deep pockets kept many drivers racing and his mechanic; a genius named Red Vogt; actually came up with the name NASCAR. That Bill France used legal maneuvering to claim the NASCAR brand for himself and his family doesnt diminish what Raymond Parks did for the sport; and even for France himself who often found himself in need of financial help from the former moonshine baron Parks. Highly highly recommended for anyone who likes a good tale well told.A footnote--Raymond Parks still lives and works in Atlanta; owning ; fittingly; a liquor store on Northside Drive. He is 93 yrs old. I stopped in to say hello the other day; and he was courteous and happy to show me all of his wonderful NASCAR and racing mementos. While slowed by age and possibly early alzheimers; he was a gentleman and I enjoyed my chat with him. Red Vogt's garage on Spring St; where the name NASCAR was coined; is still standing but is now an urban music shop. The garage door was open though; and I could see inside to where Red worked his miracles on the early Ford engines.0 of 0 people found the following review helpful. The Lesser Known ShineBy Kevin L. MartinWhere you come from is gone; where you thought you were going to never was there; and where you are is no good unless you can get away from it.-Flannery O'ConnorWow! Any author that prefaces his work with a quote from Flannery O'Connor has my attention. We all know about Junior Johnson running shine for his daddy in the hills of North Carolina; but Thompson focuses in on the moonshiners of north Georgia and their customer in Atlanta-Ray Parks. Parks ran Ford V8s prepared by Red Vogt and driven by shiners Red Byron and Lloyd Seay. Thompson doesn't ignore Johnson; but does focus on the "Whiskey Trail" that ran from Dawsonville to Atlanta. Great history and a great read.2 of 2 people found the following review helpful. Great insight into the beginning of NASCARBy Joey L.Its no surprise that while baseball/basketball/and football games are usually playing to semi-packed crowds; NASCAR is continually selling out short tracks and superspeedways that hold 160;000 people.NASCAR is exciting. And contrary to the naysayers; it requires a lot of skill and knowledge of not only racing; but engineering; aerdoynamics; and overall car mechanics.But where and when did NASCAR start? Neal Thompson does a great job in tracing back the early days of southern automobile racing in the 30s and 40s when the sport was led by whiskey runners who drove moonshine from the small towns of dawsonville and dahlonega down to the bigger city of Atlanta. Thompson reveals the lives of some of these drivers (Lloyd Seay; Roy Hall; Red Byron; Fonty Flock); mechanics (Red Vogt) and car owners (Raymond Parks) showing the glorious and not-so glorious moments for each of the early stars in driving.A large part of this book focuses on the man credited with starting the organization of NASCAR: Mr. Bill France. France made his move from an okay driver to an outstanding and often times dirty promoter for the sport of racing. The book chronicles the trials France had to deal with when starting NASCAR (competition with other racing leagues; accidents at the races; financial problems).The book also shows how some tracks got started (Atlanta Lakewood Speedway; Daytona Beach and Road Course; Charlotte Speedway; Columbus Speedway and more)Driving with the Devil is truly fascinating. The beginning of NASCAR was fueled with competition; wild characters; and some truly great stories.I would highly recommend this book to the NASCAR fan looking to read about the history of the sport.
